Antonio Villavicencio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Antonio Villavicencio y Verástegui
President of the United Provinces of New Granada*
In office August 17, 1815 – November 15, 1815
Preceded by	Custodio García Rovira
Succeeded by	Camilo Torres Tenorio
Personal details
Born	January 9, 1775 Quito, Ecuador
Died	June 6, 1816 Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Spouse	Gabriela Sánchez Barriga y Brito
Member President of the Triumvirate.

Antonio Villavicencio y Verástegui (born January 9, 1775 – died June 6, 1816) was an important leader and soldier. He was born in Quito, which is now Ecuador. He grew up and studied in Spain.

Antonio served in the Spanish Navy as an officer. He even fought in the famous Battle of Trafalgar. Later, the Spanish King sent him to New Granada (which is now Colombia). His arrival there sparked a major event called the Florero de Llorente. This event led to New Granada declaring its independence from Spain.

After this, Antonio Villavicencio joined the fight for independence. Sadly, he was later captured. He became the first person executed during a period known as the "Reign of Terror." This was when Spanish General Pablo Morillo tried to stop the independence movement.

Early Life and Education

Antonio Villavicencio was born on January 9, 1775, in Quito, Ecuador. At that time, Quito was part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. This was a large area controlled by Spain in South America. His parents were important people in society. His father was Juan Fernando de Villavicencio y Guerrero. His mother was Joaquina Verástegui y Dávila.

Antonio first went to Our Lady of the Rosary University in Bogotá. Later, his parents sent him to Spain to study. He attended the Royal College of Noble Americans in Granada. There, he joined the Spanish Navy. He became a Second Lieutenant. He then returned to Cartagena de Indias in New Granada. He was a Lieutenant on a warship patrolling the Atlantic Coast.

In 1804, he went back to Spain. He served in the navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He fought bravely in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 25, 1805.

Villavicencio's Role as a Spanish Envoy

In 1810, Spain was having big problems. The French emperor Napoleon had taken over parts of Spain. The Spanish government, called the Regency, was worried about how people in America would react. They decided to send special representatives, called commissioners, to America. These commissioners would explain the situation in Spain.

Three men were chosen to go to South America. Two were Criollos (people of Spanish descent born in America). One was a Peninsular (someone born in Spain). Antonio Villavicencio was chosen as the envoy to New Granada.

Events in Caracas

Villavicencio and his colleagues left Spain on March 1. They arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela, on March 18. They then went to Caracas. They arrived just in time to see important events on April 19. On that day, the people of Caracas removed the Spanish governor. They set up their own local government, called a Supreme Junta. This was the start of Venezuela's independence movement.

Arrival in Cartagena de Indias

After Venezuela, Villavicencio traveled to Cartagena de Indias. He arrived there on May 8. The political situation was very tense. The Spanish Governor of Cartagena was using harsh methods to control the area. The people wanted to have an "open cabildo." This was a public meeting to discuss the problems. The Governor was against it.

However, Antonio Villavicencio used his power as a Spanish representative. He supported the idea of an open cabildo. On May 10, the city council of Cartagena formed a local government, a junta. This junta included both Spanish-born people and American-born people of Spanish descent. Villavicencio was part of it.

The junta recognized the Spanish King, Ferdinand VII. They did not recognize Napoleon's brother, who was ruling Spain at the time. Villavicencio agreed with the idea of local self-rule. He did so as long as the junta still recognized the Spanish King. This event in Cartagena sparked a wave of similar declarations across the region. Other cities like Santiago de Cali, Pamplona, and Socorro soon declared their own local governments.

The Spark in Santafé de Bogotá

News of the events in Cartagena reached Santafé de Bogotá. This was the capital of the Viceroyalty. People in Santafé were eagerly waiting for Villavicencio's arrival. They hoped his visit would help their own push for independence.

On the morning of July 20, 1810, a key event happened. Joaquín Camacho asked the Viceroy, Antonio José Amar y Borbón, for permission to hold an open cabildo. The Viceroy refused rudely. This made the independence supporters decide to act.

They used Villavicencio's upcoming arrival as an excuse. They went to the house of José Gonzales Llorente to borrow a flower vase. He refused and insulted them. Francisco José de Caldas used this incident to stir up the crowds. He urged them to stand up against the Spanish-born people. The mayor of Bogotá, José Miguel Pey, had to step in to protect Llorente. By that night, the situation was so intense that a special cabildo was called. This meeting led to the declaration of independence for New Granada from Spain.

While in Honda, Villavicencio learned about the July 20 events. When he arrived in Bogotá, he found that the new local government no longer recognized his authority as a Spanish commissioner. He responded by resigning from his Spanish role. He then joined the cause for independence.

Villavicencio became deeply involved in the fight for freedom. He was made commander of a military group. In 1814, he became a military advisor to the United Provinces of New Granada.

Serving in the Triumvirate

On October 5, 1814, the Congress of the United Provinces changed its government. They replaced a single president with a Triumvirate. This was a group of three leaders who would govern the nation.

One of the Triumvirate members, Custodio García Rovira, resigned on July 11, 1815. Congress chose Villavicencio to take his place. Villavicencio accepted. On August 12, he resigned his job as Governor of Tunja. He then went to Santafé de Bogotá. There, he became the President of the Triumvirate of the United Provinces of New Granada.

His time as president was short. On November 15, 1815, Congress changed the government again. They decided to have a President Dictator and a vice president instead.

Capture and Execution

After serving in the Triumvirate, Villavicencio became Governor of Honda. On May 20, 1816, the Royalist Army captured him there. He was taken to Santafé. On June 1, a special military court sentenced Villavicencio to death.

On June 6, he was taken from his cell. His military badges were removed to show he was no longer an officer. Then, he was executed by a firing squad.

Antonio Villavicencio's visit to Santafé had helped start the independence movement. Sadly, he became the first victim of a harsh period. This period was called the "Reign of Terror." It was led by the Spanish general, Pablo Morillo. During this time, many other independence fighters were executed, imprisoned, or sent away.

Legacy

• The city of Villavicencio in Colombia is named in his honor. It is the capital of the Meta Department.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Villavicencio para niños

• Patria Boba
• Peninsular War
• Reconquista (Spanish America)